Of This and Other Worlds

OK, Tuesday night's results show for Canadian Idol was a harrowing experience (for what it was, anyway). My favorite contestant Ryan almost got voted off, and I felt bad for him having to stand on the hot spot and worry that it might be him and not Jenny Gear going home, but --

This bit from a post-show article in the Kingston Whig-Standard (Ryan's hometown newspaper) is too hilarious not to mock:

During the commercial break before Mulroney announced that Malcolm, 23, was staying, Kingston's crooner looked absolutely stunned. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and dropped his face into his hands -- which had the show's makeup staff running out to the stage to powder his nose again.

If I were the show's makeup staff, I wouldn't be sending out a team with a powder puff, I'd be calling a plastic surgeon to remove that unsightly pair of extra hands.

Ah, I do love bad journalism...

Because I want Ryan to win Canadian Idol. He's got a great voice (even though it's hard to pin down exactly what his voice sounds like, since he tends to mimic whoever's songs he's singing -- but that just endears him to me, since I do the same thing), he seems to have a polite, modest attitude and doesn't always try to grab centre stage (very Canadian of him), he looks like a cross between the young Elvis Costello and a noodle, and he always seems to pick songs I like and deliver them in a very professional fashion. Furthermore, he makes great hurl face on Results Night when he's wondering if he's going to get the axe or not. What's not to like?

Oh, and because he used to be a waiter and went to the same high school as Avril Lavigne, the Canadian media has taken to calling him "W8r Boi". Hee!

ETA: And speaking of endearingly geeky musical talents, thanks to Laura and shellebelle for tipping me off to the good news about Steve Burns' new album. I think Blue would approve.

I only ever meant to watch the first episode. I was sure it would be good for laughs, just because it was bound to be incredibly lame.

But to my astonishment, the first episode was actually good. Had to be a fluke, right? So I watched the next week. And that... well, it had a couple of stupid bits, but it really wasn't that bad either. And now, as of this fourth episode, I have to confess that I am officially addicted.

Yes, you heard me right, I love Canadian Idol.

It was the judges that sold me. I got so used to the American Idol judges being irrelevant bits of plastic that I expected the CI judges would be even worse. But Zach, Sass, Farley and Jake are actual human beings with genuine personalities and opinions, and none of them are mere clones or even imitators of their AI equivalents. I honestly like all four of them, and I also think that in most cases they really know what they're talking about, which is more than I could say for the American trio.

Another thing I like about CI is that image is not the biggest factor. A good number of odd-shaped, funny-looking, weirdly behaved people made it in to the Top 45 tonight; some of them were still in the Top 30 by the end of the show. Because they had heart, and they had proven singing ability, and that was really what the judges were looking for.

Right now, the contestants I'm really keeping an eye on:

Mikey, who wants to break the Asian barrier in the North American music industry. He might just do it, too, because he has one of the most beautiful and resonant voices I've ever heard.

Tyler, who is a nice clean-cut young man with a fine singing voice, but primarily I'm rooting for him because my brother taught him English in high school this past year, and says he's a really decent guy.

BeBe, a girl with two-toned hair and a throaty singing voice that I quite like.

Apparently, though, one of the Top 30 has just been disqualified. So I'm off to try and find out who, and why...

ETA: I forgot to quote my favorite line from this last episode. Farley, commenting on the performance of a contestant he liked but another judge wanted to cut from the roster:

"He didn't choke, he just had excessive flavour."

Hee! Excessive flavour! I think that's going to be my new catch-phrase.